@dana-edwards Steemit is one of the few projects in the crypto world that attracts people with no knowledge about cryptocurrencies. It is indeed appealing to the mainstream because it is so easy to participate and let's not forget the monetary incentive :)
Only after they join Steemit, they start to research cryptocurrencies and learn about it. So in a way Steemit is paving the way for crypto mass adoption.
I think most people will never care about crypto just like most people don't care about smtp, or dht, but they all use it if they did file sharing, Bittorent, Email. The mainstream are not computer nerds and will not take the time to learn how the blockchain works. They'll blog, make money, shop, and have fun.